Packed antifriction swivel connection



May 23, 1950 A. 1 FAcCOU 2,509,090

PACKED ANTIFRICTION SWIVEL CONNECTION Filed Sept. 29, 1947 /QTRBNEVPatented May 23, 1950 PACKED ANTIFRIC'TIRON 'SWIVEL 'CONNECTIONArmand-LykkeFaccou, Santa Ana, Calif., assignor "to .ChiksanfC.ompany,Brea, Calif., a corporaltion .of California Application September 29,1947, 'Ser-iaio. 776,579

2 Claims. (01.1285-97-3) This 'invention relates to a packedVanti-friction swivel connection, and it is a Ageneral `object of theinvention to provide such a connection wherein there are few, simple,vdependable parts.

Swivel connections for handling fluid yare required in places where itis advantageous that such connections work freely and in some ycasessuch connections are subject to both axial and radial thrust makingadequate bearing means Vessential for dependable service.

`It is a general object of my present invention toprovide a swivelconnection for handling fluid which connection `involves anti-frictionmeans serving "to centralize or maintain the connected elements inproper alignment andserviceable to withstand both radial and axialthrust.

A "further 'object of the present invention is to provide a swivelconnection of the general 'character `referred to including ya coreoperating 'within va case, which core is characterized by an'enlargement or head, the end faces of Vwh-ich are lgrooved to carryanti-friction ball bearings.

It is a further object of this invention to provide Aa construction ofthe Vgeneral character referred to wherein provision is made foradequate sealing means to prevent leakage of fluid to the bearings andwherein a seal is provided preventing dust or foreign matter fromentering thestructure to reach the bearings.

The various objects and features of my inven- .tion will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of typical preferredforms and applications of Vthe invention, throughout which descriptionreference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a swivel connection embodying the presentinvention showing it applied to aligned uid conduits. Fig. 2 is a viewtaken substantially as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view of the structure taken as indicated by line3 3 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicatedby line 4 4 on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken asindicated by line 5-5 on Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view showing a modifiedform of my invention with parts broken away to show in section, and Fig.'7 is a view showing a further modified form of the invention with partsbroken away to show in section.

Referring rst to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. l to 5,inclusive, the structure involves generally a body A, a core B, aclosure C for the body, bearing means D supporting the core with thebody, a main sealing means E and an Vouter or supplemental seal F.

The body Ai `:is la Stubular unit'linvolvingfgenfera'lly,V a fcaseportion :I l) 'Landia proiecting cou- -p'ling `portion II. The case I0lisv shown substantially :larger in 'diameter-:than .the -couplir-ig IIand is integrally 'joined 'theretdth'e two parts forming analigned.iassernblyor unit. `A'bore I2 enters vthe 'case from vitsouter'end I3"'and terminates in a '.lat bottom S114 .in the case.` "The outeryend portion vI5 ofthe bore I2'Jissomewh'at enlarged and is threadedasshowninFig. 310i the drawings. V.A reduced Acounterb'ore EI'Sis.provided inthe body extending .inward from the .bottom I4, thecounterbore :being considerably V.smaller than the bore -I2. so'thatvitnis-"conned to the central portion of the case. Thecouplin'glspar't II lhas an openingflifcontinuous with `the .open-JA ingthrough the -case '=I10., .the opening .I8 :being shown 'threaded to.receive afpipe IBror the like.

The core B is atubular memberorfelement 'with a 'spindle portion "2lland`:an `enlargement or `head. 2l on .the inner end fof the spindle. Anouter or projecting endiportion 22 of the espindle 'forms a coupling.part and in the case. illustrated itis shown :internally threaded atlf23fto rreceive 'a pipe f2.4 or `thelislie. The yhead 21I has sa yfiatinner end25 'opposing 'the :bottom i4 and 'the counterbored portionlia'nd it :has anat Eouter end 21 facing Ioutward intheiicase. Therends25 :and 21 Vof the headare co-planar Vand' are rnorlmal to thelongitudinal :axisof vthe structure.

The closure 'C that Ifpro'vide is ia simple arrnular part or rling.inlthe nature of aretainer having its outer peripheralportionthre'ade'd 'to be engaged in the threadedfopeningl in the case.The retainer has a iiat inner end face 3l opposing the outer end face 21of the head 2|. When the retainer is in position its outer end 3| may besubstantially iiush with the end I3 of the case and, as shown in thedrawings, it is provided with parts engageable by means of a suitablewrench or the like. In the particular case illustrated wrench sockets 32are provided in the end 3I of the retainer.

The bearing means D that I provide involves an inner row of ballbearings 35 carried in registering annular grooves 36 in the bottom I4.and the inner end 25 of the case and the head, respectively, and anouter row of ball bearings. 3l carried in registering annular grooves 38in. the outer side 2l of the head and the inner side 3|! of theretainer. The row of balls 35 is outward of and surrounds thecounterbore I6 and it is` preferred that the two rows of balls :be ofthesame diameter as shown in the drawings.

The main seal or packing means E involves; a packing unit of suitableconstruction and formatin located in the counterbore I6 between theinner end of the head and the bottom of the counterbore. The packingasembly may include e. suitable sealing or lip ring 40 and a ringretainer 4I. In the construction illustrated the core B has a centralcollar-like extension 42 projecting beyond the inner end of the head andwithin the packing to serve as a, protection for the packing.

The outer seal F is provided between the spindle 20 and the retainer Cand it may be a simple annular sealing ring 50 carried in a groove inthe exterior of the spindle: to operate within the annular retainer.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 the coupling part llilinstead of being in the form of a, reduced extension co-axial with thecase of the body is an extension or enlargement of the case with alateral threaded opening laf* joined to the opening in the case by asuitable curved neck 60. In this case a pipe I9EL or the like may beconnected to the iitting to extend laterally therefrom. In otherparticulars the structure ymay be the same as that hereinabovedescribed.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 the structure is the sameas that illustrated in Fig. 6, except that the coupling part 22a insteadof being a simple continuation of the spindle is in the nature of anL-tting threaded into a central threaded opening 'Hl in the end of thespindle and having a lateral threaded opening 'll receiving a pipe 24aor the like, so that the pipe extends laterally of the pivotal axis ofthe iitting.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provideda very simple, inexpensive construction providing adequate bearingengagement between the relatively rotatable parts and that theconstruction incorporates suitable sealing means so that the bearings donot become fouled or contaminated. The construction is free ofundesirable or cumbersome projections and the assembly is under fullcontrol of the single annular retainer which, when applied as shownthroughout the drawings, holds the various partsin working position.

Having described only typical preferred forms and applications of myinvention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specificdetails herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself `any variationsor modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A swivel connection of the character described including, a one piecebody having a cylindrical case and a coupling at one end of thecaseccmmunicating with the case and having a Wall forming a bottom atsaid end of the case, a tubular core extending into the case and havinga spindle portion projecting from the case at the other end thereof, andhaving an enlargement in the form of a head on the core closely adjacentthe inner end of the core and fitting in the case with workingclearance, an annular retainer threaded in the other end of the case, anannular row of ball bearings between the bottom of the f case and oneend of the head, an annular row of ball bearings between the other endof the head and the retainer, and a substantially rigid annular packingmeans between the body and the inner end of the core and sealing againstthe core axially thereof, the packing means being smaller in diameterthan the rst mentioned row of bearings and engaging the core radiallyinward of the said first mentioned row of bearings.

2. In a swivel connection having a one piece body with a cylindricalbase, a coupling at one end of the case communicating therewith, andhaving a wall forming a bottom at said end of the case, and having atubular core extending into the case with a spindle portion projectingfrom the other end of the case and with a head at its inner end portioniitting in the case with working clearance, and having an annularretainer threaded in the said other end of the case, and having anannular row of ball bearings between the head and retainer, an annularrow of ball bearings acting betwen said Wall and said head and a,substantially rigid annular sealing means smaller in diameter than thelast mentioned row of bearings and acting between the body and core andsealing axially against the core radially inward of the said lastmentioned row of bearings.

ARMAND LYKKE FACCOU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 929,734 Walder Aug. 13, 19092,382,375 Allen Aug. 14, 1945 2,414,997 Atkins Jan. 28, 1947

